Traffic-signal device



March 24,- 1925.

1 1,530,112; L. s. CARLETON ET AL 111111 1 10 smm. 11111110:

FiledDec. 20,1921 2 shuts-$115 1 Y avvnyronS,

Any/M559.

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March 24, 1925.

Ill-l L. S. CARLETON ET AL :RAFFIC SIGNAL DEVICE- Filed Dec. 20, 1 921 2 Shoots-sheaf 2 ATTOBWEYS provision of a signal for the purpose set part.-

Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATIENT .oFFIc LAURENCE s. CARLETO'N AND ROBERT e. oAnLEToN, orn ivnnroer, IOWA.

TR-AFFIG-SIGNAL DEVICE.

Application filed necemberzo, 1921. Serial No. 523,724.'

Z 0 a i Z 107mm it may come/vi Be it known that we, LAURENCE S. Canne- TON and ROBERT G. CAnLnToN, citizens of the United States, residing at Davenport, in

the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in 'lraii'ic Signal Devices, of which the follow- The invention further contemplates the forth, that will not onlybe applicable for use during the day time but'is also constructed and arranged that it may be readily and efficiently employed at night time.

The invention in all of its details, will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when the same are read in connection with the drawings,.acconipanying and forming part of this specilicatiou, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my novel signaling device and showing the signal arm in various positions.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the device and showing the arms actuating wire or connection as properly adjusted to the shaft operating mechanism.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken from the rear of the device and showing the various elements of the signal.

Figure 4L is a longitudinal sectional view of the signal.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the outer end of the signal arm and illustrating the illuminating elements thereof.

Similarnumerals of reference designate corres wnding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

Our novel device comprises a casing 1 that is provided flanged rim portion 1 that is itself provided with a channel to receive a mirror 2 whereby the device is adapted to serve for the purpose of permitting the driver of the vehicle to ascertain the condition of traffic at his rear.

The base 4.- of our novel signal is fastened in any approved manner by preference on the left hand forward mud guard of the vehicle and the said base is provided with the housing 3 that is threaded or otherwise a removable cover 5' whereby access may be readily obtamed to the mechanism of the housing.

' secured to the casing 2 as shownin Figure 4 and. at the rear of the housing 3 I arrange The base and its collar portion as well as the housing 3 are hollow and extending through the base is a cable or other .suitable means 8 surrounded by the sprin'g'9. The cable 8 is arranged in any position and manner adaptable to its purpose on the dash-' board of the vehicle and preferably in convenient reach of the operator. The cable may be provided with a ring or handle in the discretion of the manufacturer and at its end that enters the hous1ng3 itis secured to the arm 7 of L-shaped form that in turn is fast on the shaft 6 that passes through the housing 3 and casing 1. Manifestly pull exerted on the cable 8 will in turnimpart motion to the arm 7 the cable 8 in one direction will operate the shaft-in a similar direction and by pushing the cablein the opposite direction the shaft will also be rotatedin the similar direction.

and shaft 6. Downward pull of -Secured to the inner end of the shaft 6 isan arm 10 that isconnected by a link 21 to the body portion of a signal arm 14:. A rivet 15 or othersuitable means serves for the purpose of pivotally connecting the body portion 14 and link 21 toeach others .At its lower end the arm 10'is provided'with the integral portion 11 that is greatly in creased iii-diameter toward its lower end and secured to the free end of the portion 11 are contacts 12 from which extend the wiring 13 to the illuminating bulb 17 of the outer end of the arm 16. These bulbs by preference are green and red respectively and are so arranged that they will be visible upon up ward movement of the arm. with respect to the casing.

Secured in the casing 1 is a member 19 provided with the posts to receivethe wiring 20 that in turn passes through the portion 2 of the casingll and extends through housing 3 and support '9 and .is connected. with the battery or other ignition means of a motor vehicle. A shoe 18 is secured to the member 19 and is adapted on movement of the shaft 6 to contact with the'members 12 to cause the lights to glow. In the practical use of the invention, the :base .is secured :to the left hand front tender or" a motor vehicle with the mirror portion 2 toward the driver of the vehicle. When it is desired to indicate that the vehicle is about to betunned toward the right the cable 8 is pulled to its extreme limit, this will cause the arm 1.4 .to assume the position shown in dotted lines at theextreme upper end of Figure 1. This in turn will cause the contacts 12 at the lower end of 11 to be engaged by the shoe 1S to close the circuit and cause the :green ibulb L7 :ot' the portion .16 or the arm to glow. hen the arm 1a is thrown to vthe-position shown in full lines in Figure 1 sto'intlicate a left hand turn this will cause :the red light to glow, and when the arm is thrown to the lower position in dotted lines in Figure 1 the red light also will hecaused to glow. The green light wiring is only connected with the lower end of the contact points 12015 Figure 3. It will be seen by the drawing that the red light circuit is .on the first connection and its lights the light in the two lower positions vred. The upper position .is for the right hand turn and it alone has the green light. As. above stated, the green light wiring :beingonly connected with the lower of the contact point 12 of Figure .3 and thus artter the arm passes theposition shown in dotted lines in the lower part o f Figure 1, the shoe 18 will no longer engage this contact point but as the arm is :Eorced upwardly to indicate the dangerous right and left hand turns the shoe will continu ously engage the lower contact point 12 shown in Figure 3, and cause red light to glow on these two positions.

It will be seen from Figure 3 that when the signal arm 14 is in ltSlJlOlJGlttlVG position the same will assume acompaot position within the casing'l. It will further be seen that the wiring 13 to the lamp 117 extends within the arm 14 and this not .only protects the wiring but prevents the same from contacting with other elements of the device and thereby cause short circuiting.

It is our intention to construct the device ioztnilumimnn .asiar as is practicable-and especially the casing 1 and housing 3 thereof and when provided with v.theinirrorQ? it will be manifest that the device will add rather than-detract from the finished appearance of the motor vehicle.

,Thedevice is furthermore so constructed and arranged that it is inexpensive to produce and maintainand comprisesno delicate parts such as are liable to become inoperativeafter a short period of use and at the same time it is adapted not only for .use as :a trafi'c directionsignal but also for the pur- .pose of enabling the operator to gauge the condition of traflic to his rear.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is In a signal the combination of a support adapted to be secured to the rear portionof :a vehicle, an linteriorly hollow housing iformed integral on the support, a casing secured to the houslng and being hollow' throughout, a shaft that enters the housing and ipassesmto the casing, an operating lever-tastened to thesha-ft and movable therewith and having a bent end portion, acable secured to the bent end portion; the casing j hav-inga slot formed in the peripherialedge thereof, an arm secu-redto the shaft within the casing, contacts arranged-on one end of the arm, a link securedto the arm, a signal arm secured to the link and movable into 

